A drip coffee system is far superior to an instant coffee maker. For some, the smoother, less intense taste and aroma of a drip coffee system is a lot more palatable than the bitter coffee that tends to be produced by a French press. Not only that, but a drip coffee system is versatile – you can ground up your coffee beans to use in your system, and you can also buy premade blends.

The Bunn 13300.0011 VP17-1BLK Pourover Coffee Brewer with The Bunn 13300.0011 VP17-1BLK Pourover Coffee Brewer with One Warmer in Black is perfect for convenience stores family restaurants cafes or diners. Totally portable it can be used anywhere there's a plug. Just pour cold water in the top and coffee brews immediately up to 3.8 gal. per hour directly ... More + Product Details Close
At the beginning of the twentieth century, although some coffee makers tended to uniformity of design (particularly stovetop percolators), others displayed a wide variety of styling differences. In particular, the vacuum brewer, which required two fully separate chambers joined in an hourglass configuration, seemed to inspire industrial designers. Interest in new designs for the vacuum brewer revived during the American Arts & Crafts movement with the introduction of "Silex" brand coffee makers, based on models developed by Massachusetts housewives Ann Bridges and Mrs. Sutton. Their use of Pyrex solved the problem of fragility and breakability that had made this type of machine commercially unattractive. During the 1930s, simple, clean forms, increasingly of metal, attracted positive attention from industrial designers heavily influenced by the functionalist imperative of the Bauhaus and Streamline movements. It was at this time that Sunbeam's sleek Coffeemaster vacuum brewer appeared, styled by the famous industrial designer Alfonso Iannelli. The popularity of glass and Pyrex globes temporarily revived during the Second World War, since aluminum, chrome, and other metals used in traditional coffee makers became restricted in availability.
CR’s take: If you like the look of black stainless steel, you can add a hit of the trendy finish to your kitchen with the Bella Ultimate Elite Collection coffee maker. Appearance aside, this model brews a fresh pot in just 9 minutes and is graceful in action, earning strong ratings in our carafe handling tests. It offers programming, brew-strength control, a pause-and-serve feature, and auto-shutoff. Bella drip machines also received a Very Good rating for predicted reliability. At about $50, this affordable, attractive option won’t disappoint.
Feature-filled and powerful, the K475 Single-Serve K-Cup Pod Coffee Maker features customizable settings including strength and temperature control to deliver a truly premium brewing experience. Brew five different cup sizes – from 4 to 12 oz. with K-Cup(R) pods – plus the ability to brew a mug or carafe, the product brews a perfectly sized beverage for any occasion. Brewing your favorite beverage is easy thanks to the large color touchscreen, complete with separate settings for specialty...
The machine itself is large, but not as monstrous as some of the other grinders I tested. It's also very bottom-heavy, which makes it feel more durable than other machines and means it won't rattle all over your counter while grinding. The heavy-duty translucent plastic collection cup generates less static cling than the glossy clear plastic cups I tested, and the chute that connects the burrs to the cup collects less debris than other models. Cleaning is simple: Just remove the top burr and use the included wire brush to remove residual grounds.

An electric drip coffee maker can also be referred to as a dripolator. It normally works by admitting water from a cold water reservoir into a flexible hose in the base of the reservoir leading directly to a thin metal tube or heating chamber (usually, of aluminum), where a heating element surrounding the metal tube heats the water. The heated water moves through the machine using the thermosiphon principle. Thermally-induced pressure and the siphoning effect move the heated water through an insulated rubber or vinyl riser hose, into a spray head, and onto the ground coffee, which is contained in a brew basket mounted below the spray head. The coffee passes through a filter and drips down into the carafe. A one-way valve in the tubing prevents water from siphoning back into the reservoir. A thermostat attached to the heating element turns off the heating element as needed to prevent overheating the water in the metal tube (overheating would produce only steam in the supply hose), then turns back on when the water cools below a certain threshold. For a standard 10-12 cup drip coffeemaker, using a more powerful thermostatically-controlled heating element (in terms of wattage produced), can heat increased amounts of water more quickly using larger heating chambers, generally producing higher average water temperatures at the spray head over the entire brewing cycle. This process can be further improved by changing the aluminum construction of most heating chambers to a metal with superior heat transfer qualities, such as copper.

The K575 Single-Serve K-Cup Pod Coffee Maker combines impressive design, and top-of-the-line technology into one powerful package – the ultimate coffee maker. With customizable settings including strength and temperature control, and with the most brew size options – any size from 4 to 30 oz. – you can brew the perfect cup, mug, or carafe of your favorite beverages at the touch of a button. Choose from hundreds of delicious varieties from the brands you love, all easily brewed thanks to...
“Quite possibly the best investment I’ve made in an appliance to date. This powerful machine makes THE BEST COFFEE. I’m a coffee snob, so Keurig never impressed me, and I don’t have the space to purchase a full espresso machine. The Ninja system is compact, but offers a variety of brewing settings. Very easy to clean. Huge fan of this brand in general, and I’m so glad I made this purchase. Even comes with a travel mug.”

This coffee and espresso machine from Miele is designed for ultimate convenience. Its control panel lets you choose from a variety of popular espresso drinks, and it can also be used to brew a pot of your favorite coffee. There’s even a built-in grinder with five settings so you get freshly ground beans every time. You can adjust the coffee strength based on your personal tastes and even create four “user profiles” based on your preferences. Finally, the machine includes a hot water spout so you can quickly make a cup of tea — no kettle required.

The illy name is most often associated with their coffee, but they also make capsule-style machines for convenient home brewing. This model takes less space than the similar Y3 model, but still has features that coffee lovers look for. It brews standard drip coffee, and it makes espresso with 19 bars of pressure. No matter what you’re brewing, you can choose your brew strength, water temperature, and cup size, for the perfect cup every time.
*SCAA Certified: A Specialty Coffee Association of America certification indicates the machine can heat water to a temperature between 195 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit and ensures that hot water will be in contact with coffee grounds for no less than four and no greater than eight minutes. It’s a solid confirmation of quality. But according to Joseph Rivera, a research coffee scientist at coffeechemistry.com, not every manufacturer chooses to submit their coffee makers for SCAA certification, and there are definitely great drip coffee makers out there without its stamp of approval. Six of the 10 coffee makers we tested are SCAA-certified — including all four of our top picks.
It can take a little while to get to know the ins and outs of a new coffee maker. In CR’s labs, each drip coffee maker we test brews roughly 65 cups by the time our engineers are through with it. And brewing is just one of many aspects we look at. We test for handling and convenience, too, so you can choose a model that helps you sail through morning madness.